Eating DisordersEating DisordersAbstractThis paper explains how eating disorders are also mental disorders manifested as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or EDNOS. The need for action is called upon and statistically proven. This paper argues that communication, therapy, feeding intervention, and support groups are needed to fight this phenomenon. It explains that, in all cultures and races, intervention is the key to improvement and prevention and therefore, includes the family, students, teachers, administrators, and community organizations. It shows how a comprehensive school health plan must be created and implemented to prevent the increase of eating disorders. I also discuss an eating disorder intervention program that is in use as part of my school’s softball program.
Practical applications of Dietetic Disorders in Clinical Practice, 2nd ed. by A.F. DeBert
Nutrition in Practice: The Nutrition of Everyday Life, 6th ed. By O. A. Wootten
Obesity and the American Diet and Health Disparities Report, 2006. Published May 6, 2009. Web. 11 Oct. 2006. Abstract. Obesity can be a medical condition or an affliction of the body. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that pregnant and breastfeeding women take up to four dietary supplements every 5 to 10 weeks and the American Academy of Pediatrics also considers adding to a regular weight-loss program. There is a link between physical, psychological, and behavioral problems that should be treated immediately and should be considered before any such intake. A study done for the 2008 edition of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) did have a positive effect on the weight of women, and the effects of such supplements in their diets were much less so than the effects of a typical diet. An important aspect of the AAP recommendation, however, was not the content of the supplements but the way it was written (i.e., the data were not collected.) Anorexia nervosa (ANI) and bulimia nervosa (BNS) are both eating disorders. These problems include high incidence of food deprivation, overeating and a lack of motivation, and often resulting in weight gain and obesity. As people become more overweight, they lose a large portion of their strength without having enough food in their bodies to survive the stress surrounding them. There also are diet-related behavioral problems, including obesity. The results of the AAP study could be used to develop such programs for pregnant and breastfeeding women and for pregnant and breastfeeding women with other mental health difficulties. For these women, however, the effects of these supplements on her diet were less so. A single supplemental diet contains a wide range of foods, such as white rice or legumes, and can also lead to weight loss of up to 5 kg over a 4-year period. An initial diet that provides a variety of foods, including white rice, legumes, and white rice flour and has the same amount of processed starch is not usually adequate to support a strong but balanced diet. An alternative dietary approach is to increase caloric intake by increasing weight. In this study that included the use of the Dietetic Disorders® Nuts® (DDS), DDS-DET (DI) and DL (DIF-DET)–as well as regular weight reduction–and eating disorder-based intervention were shown to be effective in both limiting and increasing body weight. This model emphasizes that daily or weekly high-intensity food intake may be a good way to develop and strengthen an optimal diet, for both patients and their families. Furthermore, a reduction in intake of low-quality, processed, or even junk food such as bread and cereal was shown to increase weight by as much as 6 percent for both children and adults. Overall, most of these studies are based on randomized, controlled study designs (i.e., not involving the intervention group). However, in a meta-analysis published in 2005, it was recommended that people should be given one diet plus diet and not multiple diets which are associated with more weight gain. The study included 9,939 children (ages 7-11 y
Eating DisordersEating disorders do not run in my family. If felt good to begin this paper by writing that statement. The truth is, I’m not so sure that an eating disorder does not afflict any member of my family. That’s the way eating disorders are: they’re secretive diseases. The average person is probably surrounded by one or more persons with some form of eating disorder on a daily basis. I was.
I coach girl’s softball and two years ago our school’s star shortstop showed symptoms of being Anorexic. She was becoming too thin, and it wasn’t because she worked out too much. Her symptoms showed when she was at an intermediate stage of the disease. To keep a long story short, we had an intervention and she was checked into an eight month long treatment center. It was a long hill battle for her, her family, everyone who loved her. She’s in college now, playing on the school team. She wrote to me the other day and reminded me that everyday is a brand new battle. But her disease, Anorexia Nervosa, is not the only eating disorder the medical establishment has identified. There are many more.
The term eating disorders usually includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and EDNOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified). Although eating disorders deal with food, they are considered a psychological disorder. Meeks (2005) states that” many aspects of eating disorders are not apparent to an outside observer.” Healthy People places eating disorders under the category of mental health and disorders. According to Healthy People, “mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof), which are associated with distress and/or impaired functioning” (www.health.gov, retrieved 11/16/05).
Eating disorders are a serious problem that plagues many young adults today. For many years researchers have tried to find specific causes of onset amongst the various types of people it affects (www.health.gov, retrieved 11/16/05). Some of the research is examining the possibility of a genetic basis for these disorders. Still, other research tests the surrounding life events and their effects on disordered eating or body image. Also, researchers have looked into personal evaluations of weight, body size and image and their contributions to anorexia nervosa and bulimia (www.anred.com, retrieved 11/15/05).
Eating disorders can lead straight to many health problems including tooth decay, ulcers, loss of menstruation, and death. I was a bit surprised about finding out that bulimia, for instance, can cause tooth decay. Upon further research, I found the story of Catherine Oxenberg, former model, TV star and film actress-and princess of Luxembourg. She explained that, when vomiting, the stomach contents include acids which are bad for the teeth, even if one brushes immediately afterwards. She was experiencing tooth decay after many years of struggling with bulimia and documented her dental surgery, recovery and comeback into acting in a reality series which aired on the Lifetime Network early this year (www.CatherineOxenberg.net, retrieved 11/18/05).
In addition to the obvious dangers, eating disorders affect people of all “racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and all educational and socioeconomic groups” in the United States (www.health.gov, retrieved 11/16/05). As teachers, it is our job to protect the health and future of the children, especially since eating disorders can lead to school failure and lower academic performance. Eating disorders affect children at a young age and “often persist into adulthood and have among the highest death rates of any mental disorder” (www.health.gov, retrieved 11/16/05).
A study conducted by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (1996) shows